Tunneling-machine.



No. 875,664.. PATBNTBD DEU. 3l, 1907.

J. P. KARNS.

TUNNELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION 'FILED APB. 30. 190e.

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A o'R/VEYS No. 875,664. PATBNTED DEC. 3.1, 1907. J. P. KARNS. TUNNELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.30.1906.

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A TTU/NE V5 nNirE sfriiTEs PATENT OEEiCE.

'Joinv r. KAENs',for BOULDER, CoLoEADo. AssioNoE To THE J. P. EARNs TUNNELING MACHINE Co., OF BOULDER, COLORADO, A. CORPORATION.

' yTUNNELING-MACHINE.' l

Be it known that LJOHN P. KAENs, a citi;

. zen of the United States, residing at Boulder, -in the county ofrBoulder and State of Colof rado, have invented a new and useful Tunneling-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tunneling machines, and has for one of its Objects to provide improved means for turning the drill carrying head, and. especially to reduce the friction between the rifled shaft and the nut in machines of largeA size.

A furtherobject. of the invention is to provide a turning device arranged on arifled portion of the-shaft at a point adjacent to the drill head, and independent of the'engine by which yreci rocatory movement is viniparted to the s aft.

A still further -obj ect of the invention is to provide a tunneling ,machine in which vthe carrying shaft is helically grooved and the nut is provided with straight or slightly helical 'grooves-for the reception of anti-friction balls in order to eliminate the sliding friction common to drills of the ordinary type where i the riiled shaft and nut are provided with closely fittin rib and groove connections.

A still-flirt er object of the. invention is to provide an improved support located at a' point adjacent to the drill eadand carrying the .turning niechianism, so that strain and frictiona'l wear on the shaft will be materially n A still further object of the invention is to A still further object of the invention is to provide a. Ytunneling Vmachine in which the drill head is sup vorted on vsuitableshoes, and the shaft is provided with supports,and shoes and the vsupports being connected to the operating engine or its frame, so that as the'latter advanced into-the. tunnel, the drill head'and all ofits assembled parts will be correspondingly moved.v

rovide a drill shaft support that is more or less yieldablefin order to' permit slight variations ifi' the angular position of the shaftand 'engine with respect to the cutting.

With theseand other objects in view, as

will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certainv novel features of construction-and"arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended clai'rn's, it being under- Specification of Letters Patent. Application nea April so. 1906. serial Np. 314,541.

.upper P Patented Decal, 1907'.

stood-that variousl changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of the structure may beniade Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advan- .tages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings 2-Figure is a sectional elevation of a tunneling machine constructedin accordance with the in vention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionall viewof the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1, the view being on a smaller scale. Fig. 2a is a corresponding view on the line Qa-Qf of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a face view of the drill head also on a smaller scale. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional viewof the ratchet ring detached.

Similar ynumerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The drill head 10 is made of any desired diameter, and is provided with numerous openings for the reception of the Shanks of drills 11 that are provided with pointed outting faces. rl `he shanks are provided-with Cil rectangular portions that extend into rectan- 'I nut 15. In addition to the drills 11 a numi ber of drills 16 are employed, these be'ing arrangedon diagonal lines, and .projecting some distance beyond'the peripheryof the head propery forpthe purpose of cutting an opening 'or drift of greater diameter than the head. The diagonal drills 16 are locked in place by setscrews 17 and their rear ends rest against screws 19 which permit of kadjustmento'f the drills.

The drill head i'sprincipally supported on two curved shoes 20, each of whichis formed of an 'uplper plate 21, and a lower plate 22, the

ate being providediwith openings for the reception of bearing balls on which the drill head rests, and the lower plates serving asl supports for, said balls. The shoes 'are mounted on small yrollers or wheels 23 which arearrang'ed to permit forward movement of the shoes as the drilling operation progresses, while the balls will permit 4free rotative and to 'and-fro movement of the.' drill lived during the cutting operation..

Extending rearward from the center of the drill head is a shaft 25 providedwith'li eli`cal vv grooves 2.6', preferably of semi-circular foi-in in cross section and designed for the rec-fj tion oit' balls 27. The outer portions of the balls rit within straight vor slightly helical grooves 28 that are formed 'in the inner bore or wall of the ratchet ring 29, and said balls are maintained in proper 4relative position by a cage 30 formed of comparatively thin metal, and having Vopenings through Whichthe balls lmay extend into the grooves 26 and 28.

Theratchet ring is inclosed within a cylin drical casing 32 which carries a number Tofpivoted pawls 33 that are pressed inward into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet ring. by small springs 34.

The ratchet ring is of considerable width,

and the angular series of ratchet teeth-are arring at points on eachsi eA o ranged approximately at' the center of the Width of the ring, and the eriphery of said the vratchet teeth is" rovided with annular grooves 36 forming all races for the reception of antiits rearward stro e, the ratchet wheel is awls, and as vthe balls 27 locked by the travel in the hehcal grooves of the shaft, the

vlatter wilLbe turned to an extent proporf y tioned to the. length of the-stroke, 'and the l carrying bearing balls 39 in order to permit inclination of the o oves. On the forward movement,` the sirft will travel straight ahead, and the ratchetwheel will beturned past the pawls.

The casing 32 is extended on each side of the ratchet ring and forms a support for the shaft 25, the extended portions of the casing free rotative and'longitudinal movement of the shaft.

' tunnel or. driftl' The secondsetl of supporting barsfinclude up er rigidmmbers 44 and rangementf of the yieldable sections below.

The casing is supported by a plurality of radiating bars arranged in two. sets, and there are preferably four of such bars in each set. .The two'lower bars-41 are rigid, while the uppe'rfbarsl 42 are provided with yield'able sections, includingsprings43 to permit the slight yielding-'necessary-or changes in' the angularypositionofthe shaft and engine, and to accommodate any irregularities in the lower members 454 laving springs 46the arthe shaft in the rear set, and abovethe `shaft in the rontset, as shown inFig. 2, tendingto maintainfthe-shaftin a central position in thetunnel. i`

The en' ine employed -for operating the drill may is' operated by air, steam or other liuid under pressure, and in the present instance 47 indicates the forward end of the cylinder of the engine, 'saidlengine being supported in the usual manner to piermit gradual present instance, is connected tothe inner ends of a pair of rods 50 which are rigidly secured to 'the lower bars oiboth the forward and rear sets, and are, also, connected t`o the shoes20,' so that each time the cylinder is movediorward, the shoes andthe shaft supports are. also, traveled forward.

It is obvious that the drilling head may be madeof any diameter, and that any iormoi" engine may be employed for the purpose of effecting the reciprocatory movement oi the head and shaft. It is, unnecessary, hcwever,' to employ the drill rotating `devices which are commonly placed at 'the ends of the cylinders ofordinary compressed air rock drills, and the construction oi the engine may, therefore, be materiallysim liiied. By placing theshaft rotatin lr mec anism adjacent to the drilling head, die latter may-he more readily and more effectively supported in lace and there is less likelihood of the drill 'iieadbeing deiiected where the material is of varying density.

l claim'.- 1*. In a machine-oi the class described, a reciprocatory member having helical grooves,

A a'ratchet ring through which saidl member extends, provided wit approximately straight rooves, anti-friction balls extending into oth grooves,A pawls coacting .with .the ratchet ring, and means for supporting the pawls.

2. In apparatus ofthe class described, a reciprocatory member having. helical rooves, a ratchet ring having grooves in its inner face, anti-friction balls fitting in both grooves and connecting the reciprocating member to the rin a cave havingopenings for the passage o the y alls, an inclosing casi forfthe ratchet ring, and pawls carriedny the casing and engaging the teeth of the ratchet ring.

3. In apparatus of the class described,

grooves, a `ratchet ring, the inner wall ol which is provided with grooves, a plurality of anti-friction balls arranged in both grooves and connecting the reciprocatory member to thering, -a casing inclosing the ratchet ring, and pawls carried by the casing and engaging the ratchet teeth.

4. In a tunneling machine, a drill carrying head, a shaft carrying said head and provided with helical grooves at a ,joint adjacent the head, a shaft' support including a ia reciprocatory member having helical.

casing inclosing a portion of the shaft near the head, a ratchet ringarranged Within the casing and provided With rooves in its inner face, anti-friction balls y tting Within the grooves and connecting the shaft to the ring, and pawls carried by the casing and engaging the ratchet teeth.

5. In a tunneling machine, adrill heada shaft carrying the same and provided with helical grooves, a casing encircling the shaft at a point adjacent to the drill carrying head, means for supporting said casing, a ratchet ring arranged Within the casing and provided with grooves, anti-friction balls fitted Within the groovesl and connecting the shaft to the ratchet fing, and paWls carried by the casing and engagin the ratchet teeth.

6. In a tunneling mac ine, a drill head, a shaft carrying the saine and provided with helical grooves, a casing encircling the shaft at a point adjacent to the drill carrying head, means for supporting the casing, a ratchet ring arrange-d within the casing and provided With internal grooves, anti-friction balls fitting Within the grooves and connecting the shaft to the ratchet ring,.paWls carried by the casing and e agingthe ratchet teeth, said ratchet ringnIiaving peripheral grooves on opposite sides of ,the ratchet teeth to form ball races, and anti-friction balls arranged therein and fitting Within ball races formed in the casin 7 In apparatus of t e class described, a ratchet shaft having helical grooves, a ratchet ring having straight rooves of a number correspondin to the `he ical grooves, anti-friction balls fitting Within the grooves,

means for preventing rotative movement of the ratchet ring in one direction, the teeth ol' ,said ratchet ring being approximately midway of its Width, there being grooves on oppositeV sides of the ratchet teeth, a casing having grooves opposing those of the ratchet ring, and anti-friction balls arranged Within said grooves.

S. In a tunneling machine, a drill head, a

-shaft carrying the same, a sleeve or casing for supporting the shaft, and a pair of sets of sleeve supports, the lower members of the .forward support being rigid, and the upper for the sleeve, said supports being arranged to engage with the Wall of the tunnel, an engine for operating the shaft, a supporting shoe for the drill head, there being revoluble supports on the shoe to permit the latter to 'Inove in the direction of the length of the tunnel independently of the drill head, and bars forming a rigid connection between a relatively stationary portion of the frame, the sleeve supports and the shoe.

Intestiniony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto ailixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN P. KARNS. Witnesses:

' JNO. E. PARKER,

4FRANK S. APPLEMAN. 

